Anyone with a pulse knew that having hard-headed coach George Karl, temperamental center DeMarcus Cousins and mercurial former Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo under the same roof on a daily basis was destined to be a combustible situation for the Sacramento Kings.

It's not even Thanksgiving, and it's already ugly. Which means the time is ripe for the Celtics to pounce.

The C's are desperately in need of a superstar, particularly one that happens to be a premier big man. The 25-year-old Cousins is getting seemingly more disgruntled with each day he remains in California's capital. And, it's no secret that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge covets a franchise-caliber talent that he can build around. What's more, Boston has a boatload of young players and future draft picks that it can dangle as bait.

If I was Ainge, I would've called the Kings yesterday, asked them to name their price for Cousins, and then driven that package nonstop across the country myself.

According to reports, a frustrated Cousins chewed-out Karl with a profanity-laced rant after last Monday's blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Since Karl arrived in Sacramento nine months ago (he signed a contract that doesn't expire until 2018), he and the all-star center have failed to get on the same page.

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The Kings are off to a 3-7 start to the season.

Cousins is no innocent bystander. He's long had the reputation of being uncoachable and selfish, dating back to his one college season at Kentucky. He's now in his sixth NBA season, after the Kings selected him No. 5 overall in the 2010 draft, and he's never played on a winning team. In Cousins' defense, the Kings have been a dysfunctional group for the better part of a decade.

With all that said, Cousins' ability makes him worth the headaches.

He has averaged 19 points and over 10 rebounds for his career, while making 73 percent of his free throws -- an impressive mark for a 6-foot-11, 270-pounder. Last season, he averaged 24 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocks per game en route to being named an All-Star and All-NBA Second Team selection. He was seventh in the league in player efficiency rating and was one of only three players in the NBA to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

His numbers so far this season are comparable, and he's developed a potent 3-point shot, attempting over three per game.

Karl is 64-years-old and has won over 1,100 games. He wants things done his way and only his way, which makes him the wrong coach to relate to a player like Cousins.

Enter Brad Stevens. The Celtics' 39-year-old head coach might be just what the doctor ordered for Cousins. Stevens is a brilliant and open-minded basketball mind, and his greatest attribute just might be getting through to young players and getting the most out of them. That's how he made a name for himself while at Butler University.

Cousins would be reunited with former Kings teammate Isaiah Thomas, giving the Celtics a very dangerous inside-outside combination. He would be a perfect fit in Stevens' offensive system and would help ease the defensive and rebounding workload for smaller Celtics bigs like Amir Johnson, David Lee and Jared Sullinger.

No player on the Celtics roster is untouchable, Ainge has said as much in the past. All of those draft picks that the Celtics have accumulated should be fair game as well -- the 2016 first-rounder from the Brooklyn Nets is looking more appetizing each day.

It's important to remember that the NBA is a player's league. There are reports that Karl's job security is in jeopardy. After all, a new head coach is a lot easier to find than a 25-year-old 20-and-10 machine.

The Kings front office very well may decide it's smarter to cut Karl loose and hold onto Cousins, at least for the near future. Or they could make multiple wholesale changes.

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